Ski and ski shoe assembly



June 17, 1941. D. A. WALLACE SKI AND SKI SHOE ASSEMBLY Filed May 22, 1939' Zf/A aa Q25 \27 R. v) o 5 Way W m NMMT M E'AI. m 4

Patented June 17, 1941 iJhEiTED; STATES PATENT OFFICE SKI AND SKI SHOE ASSEMBLY David A. Wallace, Detroit, Mich. Application May 22, 1939, Serial No. 275,021

11 Claims. (Cl. 280-1135) improved mechanism for detachably operatively mounting a shoe on a ski.

One of the main objects of the invention is the provision of simple and inexpensive ski shoe attaching mechanism which is of exceedingly light Weight.

Another object of the invention is the provision of ski shoe attaching apparatus of this kind wherein all parts are confined within the planes of the longitudinal side edges of the ski so as to facilitate placement of each of a pair of skis in close side by side adjacency during skiing.

- Another object of the invention is the provision in a ski shoe of improved attaching means which is so constructed and arranged as to distribute throughout the entire sole, instep and heel portions of the shoe the force reactions applied thereon by and through the ski carried portions of the attaching mechanism.

Still further objects of the invention are the provision of improved means for so wedgingly clamping the toe end portionof the shoe sole and attaching plate as to accommodate relative free and unobstructed bending of the shoe at the region of the junction of the sole and instep 7 portions thereof; to provideimproved means for resiliently, yieldably urging theheel of the shoe against the ski; to provide means of this kind which is carried by the ski and conveniently detachably' engageable with the shoe at various locations thereon so arranged as to selectively place the resilient means under different amounts of tension; and to provide recesses in the ski for receiving the resilient means and which are of sufficient depth to confine the latter against protruding laterally of the length of the ski when the resilient members are not in use.

Additional objects of the invention are the provision of improved means for resiliently urging the shoe forwardly to releasably holdthe toe end portion of the shoe wedgingly clamped without interfering with the foregoing bending action during skiing maneuvers which require such bending action; and toprovidereleasable means Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a ski and ski shoe assembly embodying the invention. i

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1. r

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

' Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional .view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modified form of the invention.

Fig. dis a transverse sectional View similar to Figs. 3 and 5 but showing a further development of the invention.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the improved ski shoe, generally designated by the numeral It, comprises an upper portion H and a sole portion, generally designated by thenumeral it, which extends in tegrally from the front. to the rear extremities of the shoe. The'portion'lZ comprises upper and lower' layers l3 and M, respectively, of conventional shoe sole material, such a's leather. Dis posed between the layers l3 and I4 is an intermediate layer ]5 comprising flexible sheet metal, The intermediate layer [5 is provided at'its front end with a forwardly and exteriorly protruding hook it and the edge portions of the latter layer extend beyond the edges of the upper and lower layers of the'sole at the instep portion thereof as illustrated at IT in Fig. 4. The three layers of which the sole of the shoe is formed are rigidly secured together by suitable rivets I6 which may extend through apertures formed in a the layer it. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the upper layer l3 has recessed edge portions I8 at the toe end part of the shoe for receiving a clamping member. hereinafter described.

A clamping member, generally designated by the numeral I9, is secured to the ski l9 by screws 26 and comprises a channeled shaped sheet metal bracket having a web portion 2| provided with apertures through which the screws 20 extend and having upwardly and inwardly bent side walls 22 which converge forwardly for Qclampingly engaging the toe portion of the of this character'which is substantially .unafsole I2. p

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the inwardly extending upper edge portions of the side walls 22 of the clamping member are adapted to be received in the recesses [8 formed in the opposite edges of the upper layer 13 of the sole and these inwardly extending part's'of the side walls 22 are adapted to have metal to metal contact with the surfaces of the intermediate layer I5 of the sole which are exposed at the recesses I8.

The shoe III is adapted to be urged forwardly and retained in securely clamped engagement with the clamping member I9 by apparatus mounted on the ski in advance of the clamping member and which comprises an operating lever 23 pivotally mounted at 24 on a bracket 25 fixed on the upper'side of the ski. The lever 23 is pivotally connected to one end of a coil spring 26 by a yoke 21 which is pivotally attached to the lever 23 at 28. is provided with a hook 29 which is detachably engageable with the forwardly protruding hook I6. The pivot 28 is so located on the lever 23 as to tend to urge the latter in a counter-clockwise direction about the pivot 24' when the lever is disposed in the position shown in Fig. l, in

which position the spring 26 is tensioned. to urge the shoeIfl forwardly. When the lever is rotated in a clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 1, the tension of the spring is released to accommodate detachment of the hook 29 from the hook I6.

A pair of recesses 30 is formed in the upper side of the ski I9 substantially in alignment with the exposed edge portions I! of the intermediate layer or metal plate I5. These recesses are located at about the middle of the length of that portion of the ski which registers with the instep part of the shoe Iii, and in each recess is disposed a coil spring 3| having its lower end fixed to the ski by a pin 32 driven into the edge of the ski and inserted through a loop 33 on the lower end of the spring 3|. The wire of which the spring 3| is formed is twisted about itself at the upper end of the body portion of the spring, as illustrated at3'4 in Fig. 4', and at the extreme end of the wire is provided a downwardly extending pin portion 35. The opposite edge portions of the layer I5 located at the instep part of the shoe are provided with spaced apertures 36 into which the pin" of each of the spring is selectively receivable, resp ectively.

During certain skiing operations it is desirable that the skishoe 'be permitted to flex easily at the forward end of the instep portion of the shoe and throughout'forwardly adjacent parts of the sole thereof. When this action is desired the springs 31' maybe disengaged from the shoe and permitted to contract partly into their respective recesses39. The latter are sufliciently deep and restricted to confine the springs'against outer displacement beyond the planes of the edge portions'of the ski when the springs are not in operation. When it is desired to yieldably urge the heel of the shoe against the ski, the pins 35 may be selectively engaged in the apertures of the I exposed edge portions II of the layer or plate I5 in order to selectively tension the springs 3|.

The springs 3| predetermine the force with which the heel end portion is urged against the ski independently of the resilient means by which In the form of the invention illustrated inFig'.

5', the ski shoe and assembly and the apparatus by which these parts are operativelyse'cured to- The upper end of the spring 23 gether are substantially identical to the structures shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, and corresponding parts are designated by the same numerals. In this form of the invention the intermediate layer I5 is provided with upwardly bent opposite edge portions 31 at the toe end portion of the shoe. The portions 31 extend externally of the upper and lower layers I3 and I4 of the sole and are enveloped by similarly curved side wall portions 38 of the clamping member I9. The walls 38 of the clamping member are thus brought into metal to metal contact with the curved edge portions of the intermediate layer |.5..withoutengaging the conventional shoe sole inaterialof. the upper and lower layers I3 and I4,

thus protecting the latter from wear and injury by engagement with the clamping member.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig.

, 6,, there isshown a composite shoe sole substantially identical to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, with the exception that the portion of the sole with which the clamp I9 coacts is not recessed as illustrated at III in Fig. 3. In this form of the invention the clamp I-9- has upwardly extending forwardly tapering side walls 39 on which are provided inwardly extending arcuate flanges 4|] which fit over the uppermost layer I3 of the sole and contact directly therewith.

Although but several specific embodiments of the invention are herein shown and described, it will be understoodthat various changes in the size, shape and arrangement ofparts may be made without departing from the spirit of. the invention, a

What I claim is: l; A' ski and ski shoe assembly including a clamp member on said ski for receiving the. toe end portion of the sole of said shoe, said ski having arecess in the upper side thereof. registering with the instep portion of said shoe when the toe of the latter is engaged in said clamp. member, anda spring disposed in. said. recess. having one end -fixedto saidrski and. the other end detachably securable to said. shoe, said spring when detached from said shoe being. confined bysaid recess in a predetermined position between the longitudinal edges. of said ski..

2. A ski and. ski shoe assembly including a clamp member on: said ski. for receiving the toe end. portion of thesole of. said. shoe, said ski having a recess in. the upper side thereof registering with. theinstepportion of said shoewhen the toe of the latter is engaged in said clamp member, a spring disposed in said recess having one end fixed .tosaid ski; and the other end detachab-ly securable to saidshoe, said spring. when detached from saidshoebeing confined by said recess in a predetermined position between the longitudinal edges of said ski, and means operating solely on the toe end portion ofsaid shoe for releasably holding. said. end. portion in said clamp member. 3. A .ski and ski shoe assembly including a ski shoe having a sole portion comprising upper and lower layers of conventional shoe sole material and an intermediatelayer of flexible sheet metal, said intermediate layer having portions exposed a-t'the" front and side edge portions thereof, a clamp member on said ski for receiving the toe end part 'of said sole portion having inwardly extending flanges engageable with said exposed side edge portio'ns'of "said intermediate metal sole layer, means on said ski in advance of said clamp for urging said shoe into engagement with the latter' including a; resilient element detachably securable to the portion of said intermediate layer which is exposed at the front end of said sole, and resilient elements attached to said ski rearwardly of said clamp member and detachably engageable with said \exposed side edge portions of said intermediate metal layer for yieldably holding the heel of said shoe against said ski.

4. A ski and ski shoe assembly including a ski shoe having a sole portion comprising upper and lower layers of conventional shoe sole material and an intermediate layer of flexible sheet metal, said intermediate layer having an integral forwardly extending attaching element and exposed portions at the instep part of said sole, a clamp member on said ski for receiving the toe end portion of said sole having inwardly extending flanges for enveloping side edge portions of said intermediate layer and at least one of said first mentioned layers of said sole, means on said ski in advance of said clamp member for urging said shoe forwardly into engagement with the latter including a member detachably securable to said attaching element, and a resilient member fixed at one end to said ski rearwardly of said clamp member and having its opposite end porticn detachably securable to said exposed portions of said intermediate layer.

5. A ski and ski shoe assembly including a ski shoe having a sole portion comprising upper and lower layers of conventional shoe sole material and an intermediate layer of flexible sheet metal, said intermediate layer having an integral forwardly extending attaching element and exposed portions at the instep part of said sole andprovided with a plurality of spaced apertures, a clamp member on said ski for receiving the toe end portion of said sole having inwardly extending flanges engaged over portions of the side edges of said sole, means on said ski in advance of said clamp member for urging said shoe forwardly into (engagement with the latter including a member detachably securable with said attaching element, and a pair of resilient members, each fixed at one end to said ski and having an opposite end selectively engageable in one of said apertures of said exposed portions of said intermediate layer.

6. A ski and ski shoe assembly including a ski shoe having a sole portion comprising upper and lower layers of conventional shoe sole material and an intermediate layer of flexible sheet metal, said intermediate layer having exposed edge portions at the instep part of said shoe provided with spaced apertures, means for fixing the toe end portion of said sole to said ski, and a pair of springs each fixed to said ski and having an element selectively engageable in the apertures of one of said exposed edge portions of said intermediate layer respectively.

7. A ski and ski shoe assembly including a ski shoe having a sole portion comprising upper and lower layers of conventional shoe sole material and an intermediate layer of flexible sheet metal, said intermediate layer having exposed edge portions at the instep part of said shoe provided with spaced apertures, means for fixing the toe end portion of said sole to said ski, said ski having a pair of recesses in its upper side registering with the instep portion of said shoe,

and a pair of springs each fixed to said ski and disposed partly in one of said recesses and having an element selectively engageable in the apertures of one of said exposed edge portions of said intermediate layer respectively, said springs when detached from said shoe being adapted to be confined by said recesses to the space between the side edges of said ski.

8. A ski and ski shoe assembly including a ski shoe having a sole part comprising a layer'of conventional shoe sole material and a flexible sheet metal layer having a forwardly extending attaching element and laterally protruding edge portions, means for detachably securing the toe end portion of said sole to said ski including a member releasably securable to said attaching element, and means fixed to said ski detachably securable to said edge portions of said intermediate layer for resiliently urging the heel of said shoe against said ski.

9. A ski and ski shoe assembly including a ski shoe having a sole part comprising a layer of conventional shoe sole material and a flexible sheet metal layer having a forwardly extending attaching element and laterally protruding edge portions, means for detachably securing the toe end portion of said sole to said ski including a resilient member releasably securable to said attaching element and a lever for tensioning said resilient member, and means fixed to said ski detachably securable to said edge portions of said metal layer for resiliently urging the heel of said shoe against said ski.

10. A ski and ski shoe assembly including a ski shoe having a sole portion comprising conventional shoe sole material and rigid elements projecting from the front and instep side edge portions of said sole, a clamp member on said ski for receiving the toe end part of said sole portion, means on said ski in advance of said clamp for urging said shoe into engagement with the latter including 'a connecting element detachably securable to said front rigid protruding element, and resilient means attached to said ski rearwardly of said clamp member and detachably engageable with said rigid protruding element of the instep side edge portions of said sole for yieldably urging the heel of said shoe against said ski.

11. A ski and ski shoe assembly including a ski shoehaving a sole portion comprising conventional shoe sole material and having a forwardly extending attaching element at its front end and apertured rigid elements located at the opposite edges of its instep portion, a clamp member on said ski for receiving the toe end portion of said sole, means on said ski for urging said shoe forwardly into engagement with said clamp including a member detachably securable to said forwardly extending attaching element, and resilient means fixed on said ski in registration with the instep portion of said shoe having elements selectively engageable in the apertures of said rigid apertured elements of the edges of the'instep portions of said shoe for urging the heel end part of said shoe toward said ski.

DAVID A. WALLACE. 

